Grateful Dead

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what Badger said! Was TOTALLY with you, until you mentioned Russia Today. But otherwise very well-written and reflective essay that I absolutely agree with!********************************** I am not young enough to know everything. Oscar Wilde

well I was with you more or less Jonapi until you recommened RT (Russia Today) It does indeed provide a different viewpoint from that of the Euro/US media and can be interesting and illuminating. But folks should be very much aware that it is owned and controlled by the Russian State. Very bad things tend to happen to journalists who present truly different viewpoints there. Just saying.

Thats should've been China "going into Africa" not South Africa. But don't worry, lots of people won't know the difference....

Well, coming from England, it was kinda surprising that the Dead suddenly got behind Obama. Lesser of the two evils, right? There is no doubting that an intelligent, educated black man (kinda black) as President in America gave/gives an incredible amount of inspiration to young African-Americans, and others, whether they choose to enter politics or not; after interminable years being treated as a lower life form (er, not sure that's changed much actually), it WAS wonderful to see Obama elected. I watched in the UK as it unfolded that night and was mighty relieved. McCain and Palin? Jesus Christ..... But we all know that the President doesn't really have much influence over policies/laws etc. He's just there. That's pretty much it. If you look at the way he spoke during his recent TV statement regarding the pulling of troops out of Afghanistan, his body language is dangerously beginning to take on the tics and habits of leaders the world over (and i use the word leader quite wrongly, children). Why these people all seem to talk in that overly dramatic intonation i don't know. In fact, the more relaxed he seems the worse it looks; I guess he's convinced himself that people will swallow what he has to say and believe the words have sincerity. And in most cases, he would be right. I think the majority of Americans DO believe what their Presidents say, thanks to your appalling news stations. Ours aren't much better either, but we're not quite on your level....yet. YET! There just seems to be an incredible amount of paranoia in the American government (which in turn, seeps into the population). It really isn't that much different to China or North Korea. Sure, it manifests in a slightly different way, but that constant fear mixed with insecurity, and the need to dominate and control has produced some horrific results around the world and for US citizens themselves (results which the UK are MORE than happy to support, running along like some annoying little puppy, that just won't stop following your every step and humping your leg). The war in Afghanistan is just one example. Your governments's murderous foreign policy has determined that America is pretty much hated around the world. Which is a travesty because, the PEOPLE are some of the warmest, most hospitable, open, optimistic human beings you could care to meet. We'll skip over the scenes of the crowds in New York, jumping up down, pumping those fists, yelling "U.S.A, U.S.A....", (i was expecting a "sieg heil" at some point) at the news of Bin Laden's death. Horrible images. Not unexpected but nauseating all the same. Remember folks, it was that kind of behaviour that got you 9/11 in the first place. You keep poking someone in the ribs long enough they WILL explode sooner or later. Do people in America REALLY believe that Bin Laden was in control and that now gone, we can breath a huge collective sigh of relief? Was he sitting in a bunker furnished like the NASA Flight Control Room, surrounded by live camera action of street corners around the world, ordering up suicide bombers like one orders a pizza? "Okay, okay, we'll have one 16 year old female, extra peroxide, easy on the nitroglycerine; please send to the corner of 4th and Capitalism in New York." He's not sitting there directing it all, "one for Pakistan, one for Spain, one for London...". The Middle Eastern personality is completely different to the Western one. It needs to be understood a little better. It requires digging out the ol' history books, not listening to Fox and CNN. Or the BBC. One of many things we DO stand united in, is the wish to be left alone; to follow one's own religion (or not) and live one's life in a peaceful manner. FREE from interference. It may be contrary to our own beliefs but that's none of anyone's business. Who's to say what's right? There is a real danger of things getting worse too. I'm an optimistic person but we do have to keep our eye's open here. The US is bankrupt, China's economy is growing at an alarming rate, they have the money to invest (and then control). Look at how they've gone into South Africa. And none of that money is staying in that country, you can be sure of that. Just today the news reported that China is willing to help struggling European countries, through lending and investment. I for one am extremely concerned of accepting such an offer. We'd be forever in debt and not just in a monetary sense. Shades of the US's help to the UK after the Second World War. One of the reasons why the British Government do everything you tell us to over sixty five years later and counting. As for Japan and the nuclear disaster? Well, that's a loooong topic of conversation. Again, an incredibly incompetent government. The last Prime Minister was something else. We're talking George Bush levels of retardation. But again, the nuclear industry is HUGE business; much too much invested in it, much to lucrative. And again, the US leads the way....large donations to Obama's campaign from a certain company (based in Chicago wasn't it? forget the name) so he's not going to interfere. Certainly not with an election coming up, if EVER. It was the US who requested that Japan dumped the radioactive waste into the sea. You'd think that after Obama's indignation at the BP Executives' strategies to combat the oil spill that he just might, just miiiiight give wee bit more than a shit. But then it's likely to effect "foreigners" right, so who fucking cares? No surprise then that most of the news stations have dropped this story. And not just in the US either. The BBC has also conveniently dropped coverage. Other more important stories, right? Like Syria, Libya..... God bless you America, you sure know how to start somethin' don't ya?!!! Pity you've been financing these regimes for so long until they come back to bite you on the ass. (As much as Gaddafi is mighty unpleasant, to put it mildly, him not wanting to join the IMF and have a separate currency effectively signed his own death warrant. Not SUCH a bad thing but...). It's not about Democracy, it's not about Human Rights, its about POWER. GREED. ACCUMULATION. WEALTH. I notice no help is forthcoming to the Tibetan people. Still. But then that country has nothing of any use, so fuck it. Plus i'm pretty sure that China has a fair bit of minerals............. I must make clear here, that i'm in no way down on the US (well, not the people anyhoo). I can talk about the UK's shocking behaviour through the years for days and days. We have some real beauties. But thought i'd start here...... Lastly, i'd recommend RT (formerly Russia Today) as an alternative news source. Again, it is a news station so don't believe everything you see or hear but it raises some interesting topics/points. Has a good segment called The Keiser Report by Max Keiser, an American. He also has a programme on Resonance FM, a UK based radio station, available online - http://resonancefm.com/ check out Max Keiser here - http://maxkeiser.com/ and here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Keiser real good guy.

In 2008 Grateful Dead re-united for Obama. With Obama expanding the wars, you'd figure former members would apologize for thier unwise endorsement of Obama. Now I realize that McCain was no better. So this isn't a partisan question. But even the withdrawl of the surge in Afghanistan, this war will not end, it is too profitable . Does this concern The organization and more importantly does it bother my fellow Deadheads? Sincerely P. Shawn

it's toxic pollution from the nuclear reactor in Japan. Gone now.

ew!!

You know who else made a lot of money, corrupt politicians! Now we got the boys coming home to NO jobs and (I bet) a rising tide of opium. Pulling surge troops out is the first step to a phased withdrawl down to 60,000 in about 10 years. Phased reductions are still in progress in Iraq to bring troop totals down to 50,000. Get used to a deployment in that unstable region to more than 100,000 troops for as long as you live. Is that not mind-boggling? We WILL NEVER reform Iraqis and Afghan's and that whole canard was just buying time for systematic destruction of large numbers of AQ. It's time to bring every troop home NOW! and spend the deployment money and to start slashing the military budget by 3% to start and develop a giant jobs program. John McCain bemoans an attitude of withdrawing to fortress America and I say to hell with him and tear down the walls. It doesn't have to be this way. If we leave people alone they won't bother us. Way too simplistic? You betcha' The US military has and continues to bother and kill people all over the globe in "our national interests" which seem to be giving Goldman Sachs all the money they want, whenever they want it. The US is now a giant, glittering death star about to run out of money with priorities that would make Caligula proud. Who wrote the plot for this story because I really want to know how it ends before I die, and I'm sure I'll be dead before the final line is written. Rant over. Time for vacation.

And now he's about to do it. Remember, the previous prez started this mess. It's good to end our involvement despite the losses we've incurred. The military-industrial complex has made $$$. The new Summer Solstice Trivia forum topic has no place to give an answer.

I don't have any kids, I have no desire to be financially wealthy, I live in one of the best places on Earth with mountains, rivers, forests and an ocean out my back door. Guess I ought to just shut up and live for the day and let others try to solve the world's problems. What a wonderful world this would be